El Paso County Commissioners Court may alter jury notice process

The way jurors are summoned to serve may soon change if county commissioners on Monday adopt a proposed plan by the Council of Judges that includes notifying jurors by phone or by a written notice at their home.

Administrators with the Council of Judges, which oversees the jury selection process, were unavailable for comment Friday.

The County Commissioners Court's agenda, however, includes an item that seeks approval for the jury selection plan. According to county documents, the plan's section on the summoning of jurors was amended and approved by the Council of Judges on Thursday.

The amended section states that jury summons "shall be delivered by giving personal notice to each person or by leaving a written notice to that effect at the person's place of residence with some person of proper age and discretion by phone or by mail."

Currently, most jurors are summoned by mail.

Also Monday, the County Commissioners Court will vote on the county's first Transportation Reinvestment Zone, which could create $76.5 million in revenue over 30 years.

In a reinvestment zone, taxes collected due to an increase in property values are used to pay off debt or money spent for improvements in that zone. The creation of a reinvestment zone doesn't raise the property tax rate.

Being considered for the reinvestment zone are the areas along Eastlake, Darrington, Greg, Edgemere and Old Hueco Tanks streets, among others, on the county's far East Side. The areas are mostly vacant land that are expected to be developed soon, prompting the need to create or improve streets, sidewalks and other infrastructure.

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If the zone is approved, the county would begin generating revenue in 2014. The county would work with the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority on the zone.

Also, commissioners will consider awarding a bid for about $20.1 million for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. The money will come from the certificates of obligation recently approved and issued by the county as part of its Capital Improvement Program.

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